Knitting needle



March 25, 1930. G. c. EGLY KNITTING NEEDLE Filed Oct. 16, 1928 INVENITOR. I 660/?65 6. 61- Y- Patented Mar. 25, 1939 SUNITEDSTA'TES' wa st KNITTING NEEDLE I Application filed October 16, 1928. Serial No. 312,764.

invention relates to a new and useful knitting latch needle of the type commonly employed on conventional knitting machlnes,

whereby the danger of cutting the thread be ing knit, which results in damaged goods and necessitates immediaterepairs, and the danger of weakening the thread which results in the finished goods developing runs whenin use, are entirely eliminated. As is well known in latch needles of this character wherein the latch is pivoted to the needle shank slightly in advance of the needle hook with which it coacts, the latch swings on its pivot with every stroke of the needle, with the back of said latch seating in a slot in said shank, and with the free end of the latch offset and extending beyond the terminal of said slot farthest from the pivot point of said latch. This is necessary to permit the free end of the latch to be engaged and closed by the thread or loop during the downward stroke of the needle. Due to the constant repeated impact of the back of the latch against the shank of the needle that portion of the shank adjacent the terminal ofthe slot farthest from the pivot point of the latch, as well as the corresponding contacting portion of the back ofthe offset terminal portion ofthe latch which does'not seat within "said slot become sharpened or roughened, so 'that't-he thread or loop being knit," in sliding over said shank and the back of saidlatch, is .caught bythese roughened surfacesand is either completely severed thus necessitating immediate repair and producingimperfect goods, orlis so weakened by its passage over said roughened surfacesthat the finished fabric tends to develop runs due to the breaking of the weakened threads when said fabric is subjected to strainin' ordinary use. I

It is therefore the object of my invention to provide a latch needle wherein the surface of the shank and the back of the latch are socon-.

structed as not to be roughened by impact 5 of the swinging latch against said shank, thus eliminating the danger of cutting or weakening the thread. 1

It is a further obj ect of my invention .to

produce a novel needle construction wherein the latch is provided withlateral and axial guards or protective lugs or members whose outer portions do not impact against the shank when'the latch is in the fully opened position during the upward stroke of the needle, and over which the thread is guided in sliding 5 off the needle, after such thread has leftthe slotted portion of the shank and before it slides od the terminal hook while the latch is closed during the downward stroke of the needle. Y To the above ends, my invention consists in providing the latch of a knitting needle of this character with lateral generally rounded, protective'members or lugs, whose rounded walls converge towards the latch body and merge into the latter so that when the latch is in the open position during its upward stroke said lugs extend from the free end of the latch to and beyond the terminal W of theslot inthe shank of the needle below the pivot point of said latch. My invention further consists in so forming my novel protective lugs with respect to the juxtaposed slotted shank portion, that all i impact between the sharp edges of the slot in said shank and the back of said latch is eliminated, the only contacting surfaces be- I mg the smooth generally, rounded under surfaces of sa1d protective lugs with the outer,

smooth edges of the slotted shank portion, 9

thereby preventing the roughening orrsharpening of either of the contacting surfaces, and thus eliminating all liability of weakening'the thread or yarn being knitted.

My invention further relates to various other novel features of con'st ruction' and advantage, all as hereinafter described and claimed. i

For the purpose of illustrating my inven tion I have'shown' in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization-of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described. 1V V g In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1, represents a perspective View of the upper portion of a knitting needle having a latch embodying my invention.

Figure 2, represents a side eievation of Figure 1, with the latch shown in the closed position during the downward stroke of the needle.

Figure 3, represents a side elevation of a knitting needle having a latch embodying my invention the latter being shown in the opened condition, or during the upward stroke of the needle.

Figure represents a front view of Fig ure 3. V

Figure 5, represents a perspective view of the latch shown detached.

Figure 6, represents on an enlarged scale a section on line 6-6 Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in which the like references indicate like parts 1 designates a knitting needle embodying my invention comprising the shank 2, the book 3 and the latch 4 pivoted at 5 in the slot 6. The latch i is provided at its free end 7 with the seat or recess 8 which engages the end 9 of the hook 3 in the usual manner illustrated in Fig. 2.

Ordinarily, in a construction of this character, the back 10 of the latch t seats in the slot 6 in the shank 2, when the latch is in the open position during the upward stroke 7 of the needle, as seen 1n Flgure 3.

Due to the swinging of the latch with every stroke of the needle and the resulting impact oi the offset terminal portion 11 at the portion 11* against the end portion 12 of the slot 6, a roughening or sharpening of the contacting or'impacting surfaces took place, with the result that when the thread 1% passed over the end portion 12 of-the slot 6 and over the oilset portion 11 of'the latch a, when the latch.

' is being closed during the downward stroke of the needle illustrated in Figure 2, the

thread tended to become completely orpar tially severed, thus resulting in damaged tabr1cs and necessitating immediate repair or resulting in a iabricwhich tended. to develop runs in actual use due to the premature break-- i-ng of the threads partially'severed or materiall'y weakened by passage over said roughened, sharpened areas.

To remedy this defect, I provide the latch 4 with the lateral taperin enerall rounded protective guide lugs or stops 15, the tapering ends 16 of which extend to and beyond the terminal portion 12 of the slot 6 when the V latch is in the open 'posltion seen in Figure In this position the back 10 ot' the lat-ch seats within the slot 6 and is therefore not in any way roughened or affected and due to the rounded -surfaces 1? of the lugs 15 resting on the shank 2 on either side of the slot 6, the

, r offset portion 11 of the latch is spaced from the unslotted portion 18 of the shank and the portion 11 which designates the junction of the back 10 with the offset terminal portion 11 with the back 10 of the latch is prevented from impact against the sharp edge of the terminal 12 of theslot 6; In this way the end 12 of the slot 6 and the oiiset terminal portion 11 as well as the junction point 11 with the back '10 or" the latch, which heretofore have been the principal causes of cutting and damaging the thread are entirely protected from iinoact and are therefore not in any: way roughened or sharpened.

Furthermore, due to the generally rounded cross-sectional shape of thetape'ring guides 15, the impact of the undersides 17 of said guides against the smooth edges of the shank 2 on either side of the slot 6 will not produce any roughening or sharpening of the impac'tminal oitset portion 11 which as above pointed out do not impact against the shank 2 dur-' ing the opening and closing of the latch, and which are therefore smooth and polished at all times. t

It will thus be seen that the under portions of the curved lugs act as stops for the -latch when the latteris in the position seen in Figs.

3 and i, and that theero'unded surfaces .1'7 2 act as guides for the thread when the latch is in the position seen in Figures .1 and 2.

It will thus be seen that by thenovelpositioning of my novel guides or stops 151 prevent the impact of the portion '11 with the end portion 12 of the slot 6 atthe point- 1 1 and that by extending the guides ilolatorally to form'the rounded surfaces or edges 17, I prevent the .roughening or sharpening of any of the surfaces of the shank or; latch over which the thread must pass and thereby I protect the thread against being cut or damaged. This results not only in the production of undamaged tabricgand prevents the formation otruns .in the finished'lfabric when in use, but it also permits of continu ous uniform operation of the knitting ma chine by obviating the necessity of constant V V ad ustment and repair 'heretotore rendered cause the end 12 of the slot 6 in 2 or the'offset terminal portion 11 of the latch 4, or both have become roughened.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without de- 5 parting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention. 7

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. In a latch knitting needle of the character stated, a needle shank terminating in a hook, a latch pivoted in a slot in said shank and coacting with said hook, and means for preventing the impact of the back of said latch against the juxtaposed portion of said shank when said latch is in the open position comprising rearwardly tapered rounded lugs integral with the sides of said latch and offset with respect to the back edge thereof. 5 2. In a device of the character stated, a needle shank terminating in a front hook, a latch pivoted in a slot in said shank and coacting with said hook, and elongated, oppo-' sitely tapering rounded guard lugs oneither so side of said latch and extending rearwardly from the front end thereof, the rounded surface of the rear portions of said lugs being offset from the back edge of said latch, to prevent impact of said back edge against the :5 juxtaposed slotted portion of said shank when said latch isin the open position, to prevent the roughening of said back edge and the consequent cutting of the threads passing over said latch when the latter is in the closed 40 position.

3. In a device of the character stated, a needle having a slotted shank terminating in a hook, a latch pivoted in said slotted shank and coacting with said hook, andv guard lugs integral with the'sides of said latch and extending from the free end thereof to about the midlength of said latch, said lugs tapering forwardly to merge with the free end of said latch and tapering rearwardly to form rounded surfaces offset from the back edge of said latch to protect the latter from impact with the slottedshank of said needle when said latch is in its open position.

4;. A latch for knitting needles comprising an elongated, thin body portion having integral lateral guard lugs extending rearwardly from the front end of said latch to about the 'midlength thereof, said lugs having rounded, rearwardly tapering portions offset from the back edge of said latch and projecting laterally from said body portion.

GEORGE O. EGLY. 

